The Boston Red Sox have enjoyed an illustrious history since joining the American League in 1901. The Red Sox have appeared in the World Series 12 times and won it all on eight occasions. Boston was a dominant team early in the 20th century – they beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the inaugural World Series in 1903, and went on to win the Series four more times before 1918. After 1918, the Red Sox fell victim to one of the longest championship droughts in all of the major sports – it wasn’t until 2004 that the franchise won another title. The Red Sox are one of the more beloved franchises in MLB history, and their memorabilia is full of classic collectibles that will infinitely retain high value.

Boston’s 86-year championship drought was credited to the “Curse of the Bambino,” which referred to the Red Sox decision to sell the contract of MLB legend Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees. Despite not winning a title in 86 years, the Red Sox were a team to be reckoned with and were responsible for many of the most memorable World Series moments ever. A change in ownership in 1933 turned the struggling franchise around. The new owner acquired players like Lefty Grove, Joe Cronin and Jimmie Foxx and ultimately made the franchise respectable again.

In 1939, the Ted Williams era started for the Boston Red Sox. Williams, one of the best MLB players ever, consistently hit for a high average while producing a good amount of power. In 1941, Williams batted .406 for the season, the last time an MLB player has batted over .400 in a season. Williams, a Hall of Famer, had a dominant career to the tune of 521 home runs, 2,654 hits and 1,839 RBIs. Williams is an integral part of Boston Red Sox history because he played his entire career for the team in a sport where even the best players occasionally switch teams. Williams was a 19-time All-Star, two-time AL MVP, won the Triple Crown twice and was the AL Batting Champion on six occasions.

After Williams’ retirement in 1960, the Red Sox struggled to fill the huge void left behind by his superstar status. In 1961, someone capable of replacing Williams came along, his name was Carl Yastrzemski. One of the best hitters ever, Yastrzemski led the franchise to the 1967 World Series but the team ultimately lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Yastrzemski enjoyed a spectacular season in ’67 as he won the AL Triple Crown after hitting .326 with 44 home runs and 121 RBIs.

Yastrzemski retired after the 1983 season, and it wasn’t until 1986 that the Red Sox would come close to winning another World Series title. During the ’86 season, Boston was led by Jim Rice, a Hall of Fame hitter, and ace Roger Clemens. Behind the play of Clemens and Rice, the Red Sox made it to the World Series, where they matched up against a heavily-favored New York Mets team. Boston was up in the series 3-2 after five games, and they seemed primed for a title for the first time since 1918. The Red Sox took a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the tenth inning against the Mets, victory was seemingly theirs but then one of the most famous sequences in baseball history occurred. A wild pitch tied the game and then a slow groundball bounced between the legs of Bill Buckner, allowing the Mets to tie the series and eventually win it in a game seven.

The 2004 season will forever be marked in Red Sox history as the year the “Curse of the Bambino” was destroyed. With players like Curt Shilling, Keith Foulke and Johnny Damon, the Red Sox were ready to make a postseason run that would finally result in a championship. The road to the title, though, didn’t look to clear after the team dropped the first three games of the AL Championship Series to their hated rivals the New York Yankees. Boston then became the first team in MLB history to fall 3-0 in a series and come back to win it. After their epic comeback against the Yankees, the Red Sox faced off against the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Boston never trailed in the series and after 86 years finally brought a World Series title back to Beantown. Outfielder Manny Ramirez was named World Series MVP.

Boston duplicated its title run again in 2007 after the emergence of rookie Dustin Pedroia and Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka. The Red Sox rolled through the playoffs and made it to the World Series where they matched up against the Colorado Rockies. Boston dominated the Rockies and finished its championship run in four games; third baseman Mike Lowell was named World Series MVP. After struggling to win for over 80 years, Boston became the first team to win three World Series titles in the 21st century after once again beating the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series.

The Red Sox have one of the most storied histories in all of baseball that much is obvious. All across the U.S. and the world, fans proudly wear their Red Sox gear. After suffering through a legendary drought, Boston has become a franchise that is accustomed to winning and that’s why investing in Red Sox memorabilia is such an easy decision. With a list of Hall of Famers like Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice, Jimmie Foxx, Wade Boggs and Lefty Grove, there isn’t a shortage of available classic Red Sox memorabilia. Any piece of Red Sox memorabilia would be a great addition to a MLB collection.

Ted Williams Photo: Ted Williams is one of the best baseball players to ever play the game, period. Williams, a Hall of Famer, had a dominant career to the tune of 521 home runs, 2,654 hits and 1,839 RBIs. Williams is an integral part of Boston Red Sox history because he played his entire career for the team in a sport where even the best players occasionally switch teams. Williams was a 19-time All-Star, two-time AL MVP, won the Triple Crown twice and was the AL Batting Champion on six occasions. Ted Williams’ collectibles are a unique piece of history that will never fall in value. His memorabilia represents the golden era of professional baseball and an opportunity to capture a moment in time with an authentic Ted Williams photo is something that should not be passed up.

Dustin Pedroia Memorabilia: One of the best defensive second basemen in the MLB, Dustin Pedroia has won three Gold Glove Awards for the Boston Red Sox since joining the team in 2006. Pedroia is a four-time All-Star, two-time World Series Champion, AL Rookie of the Year (2007) and AL MVP (2008). Dustin Pedroia memorabilia will only continue to increase in value as he keeps his stellar play at a high level. Red Sox memorabilia is something that takes average collections to another level due to the franchise’s storied legacy, and adding Dustin Pedroia collectibles to the mix honors a Boston baseball megastar and will only help establish a quality sports collection .

Carl Yastrzemski Baseball Bat: Carl Yastrzemski is another legendary Boston Red Sox player; he played his entire 23-year career for the franchise and accumulated numbers that were unthinkable at the time. Yastrzemski was an 18-time All-Star, an AL MVP, a seven-time Gold Glove Award winner and was the last player, until 2012, to win the Triple Crown when he did so in 1967. A signed Carl Yastrzemski bat is a perfect within a collection of classic MLB memorabilia and is also a great way to commemorate the 452 home runs, 3,419 hits and 1,844 RBIs Yastrzemski recorded by the premier slugger.

Autographed David Ortiz Jersey: David Ortiz is the player who younger Red Sox fans will remember as their equivalent to Carl Yastrzemski. Ortiz has played for Boston since 2003, and has been a main factor in the three World Series Championships for the Red Sox in his time with the team. As a member of the Red Sox, Ortiz has been named an All-Star nine times, won six Silver Slugger awards, the AL MVP Award in 2004 and World Series MVP Award in 2013. A signed David Ortiz is the best way for a younger Red Sox fan to establish memorabilia that will become classic once his playing days come to an end. One can see from looking at the way memorabilia from former Red Sox Hall of Fame players retains value that the time to invest in a David Ortiz jersey is now.

Boston Red Sox Memorabilia: The 2013 Boston Red Sox were a team on a path toward redemption. Led by David Ortiz, the 2013 Sox rolled through a successful season and clinched their third World Series title in the 21st century, becoming the first team to do so. The franchise clinched the title at Fenway Park for the first time since the 1918 World Series, making the victory that much sweeter for Boston fans. The ultimate way to honor a team’s success is with a piece of sports memorabilia that has been signed by several members of the 2013 World Series Champions, including: David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Clay Buchholz, Xander Bogaerts, John Farrell, Mike Napoli, and Shane Victorino, among others. This photo captured a historic moment in team history, making it a must have in any Red Sox memorabilia collection.